Outsourcing doors

[john_hartman]

For all those cabinet makers out there... I've been outsourcing doors for larger kitchen projects. I have one that is to be painted. I've only ever fabricated my own doors when painted.

In the past when I was making my doors in-house I would make the center panel (.5" veneer ply) the same size as the perimeter mortise. Then I would glue it in place and a 1/16" bead of caulk around the perimeter where the panel meets the frame. This leaves a seem less door. Or if it was a raised panel I would pre-finish it as to not see unpainted edges when the panel shrank.

My door fabricator floats the center panel, flat or raised. I am trying figure out what is the best way to prep out-sourced doors and finish them with paint without worrying about the center panel splitting the caulk seem from the frame.

Can I glue the panel in place and caulk as I usually do? How is this done properly? Materials will be soft maple and veneer covered MDF.

[khaos]

I would glue the center of the panel on the end grains only. This will minimize the amount of movement the caulk has to contend with. Seems like if its not a fiberboard that it will eventually split from the rails and stiles.

Re-reading your post I see its just a veneer over fiber, in your case this would probably work fine. I hope this help a little.

[wberminio]

John
If the center panel is MDF then no worries.Caulk as u usually have done in the past.
If is solid wood (which I would not use for painted panels) then I would follow joe's advice

[dlcw]

For solid wood panels, I place a short bead of glue along the top and bottom rail (about 1.5"). This anchors the panel but still lets it expand and contract. I use spaceballs on the sides to keep the panel centered in the frame.

MDF is not going to move around in your panels (panels are relatively small). I would caulk them as you have done.

If you wanted to test things out, get a sample door from your supplier and go through your process and let it sit in the shop for a couple of weeks, them move it into your kitchen for a couple of weeks, then back to the shop. If there is going to be any movement, it will show up in this process.

[john_hartman]

Unfortunately I won't have time to do a test run. But it sounds like I should be dealing minimal shrinkage using an MDF core. Would it be a bad idea to glue the panel all the way around the rails and stiles?

I have never not used a thin bead of caulk on painted doors. I feel that it look so much better. However, if there is a universal method I would love to hear it..

[Ajcoholic]

John,
I have been manufacturing my own doors for as long as Ive been working, over 20 yrs now. I have made a lot of doors...

When I do paint grade, I use hard maple veneer on 1/4" MDF. I have always glued in my panels and also caulk around the edge to prevent the "dark line", when doing a white or off white coloured lacquer finish.

I have never, ever had any issues. Ever. With a PC or MDF core plywood, its not going to move enough to cause issue.

Of course with a solid wood panel (flat or raised, doesnt matter) you have to let the panel float as stated, and cannot caulk. I too will not do a paint grade panel with solid anymore, as it is too difficult to cope with wood movement.

AJC

[Ajcoholic]

Would it be a bad idea to glue the panel all the way around the rails and stiles?

I have never not used a thin bead of caulk on painted doors. I feel that it look so much better. However, if there is a universal method I would love to hear it..

I do glue the mdf panel on all 4 sides.

I agree 100% un-caulked solid colour doors (paint or coloured lacquer, etc) do look less attractive, due to the thin black line that you always see between the frame and panel. Especially with light colours.

AJC

[michael_schwartz]

Is the actual thickness of 1/4" veneer faced MDF any better, than 1/4" plywood?

[Ajcoholic]

The sheet stock I buy is exactly 1/4" thick. The maple is on both sides of the MDF. It fits my "made in N.America" rail & stile sets.

I also have some European made rail and stile cutters. For those I buy a thinner product, around 5.2 or 5.3 mm

I wish everything was standard... but its not. At least not in Canada! You really have to watch (and spec) what you are buying.

AJC

[myxpykalix]

Andrew,
Do you carry your calipers with you to the store? I have been known to do that on at least one occassion when i absolutely had to have the same thickness material for a project as spec'ed by the customer who was a real D*head about this. He would never know the difference in the end product, or within the grand scheme of the project it wouldn't have mattered, but some people like that you just absolutely don't mind charging them extra!